Changes Through Space
by scifigirl77
Summary: Sequel to Changes. Jack's at TORCHWOOD and one day, he finds her once again. What will happen, escpecially since she's engaged... and becoming a Dalek?
1. Lost Love Found

She stared out over the distance, tears streaming down her face. She stood there, dirt in her clothes and in her hair. None of that mattered, though. She knew she was bleeding, but she didn't care. All she cared about was the man standing across from her.

It was Jack Harkness. Katherine had found him at last. After searching for so long, finally, there he was. He smiled and started to cross the distance between them. After what seemed like forever, they were close enough to touch each other. He was smiling, then his face became scared.

Jack was looking over her shoulder. She turned and saw the creatures of golden metal that she despised, yet who were, ultimately, her destiny. Daleks.

"Get away from here, Katherine," he said, getting in front of her.

"I won't leave you. They won't kill me. They think I'm one of them." If I told them not to kill Jack, would they listen? she thought. But she already knew the answer. She had tried so many times before.

No.

Her tears of joy were replaced by tears of pain and sadness. He just stood there, ready to die so he could protect her.

"Exterminate."

The lead Dalek shot and Jack slumped to the ground, dead. Taken away from her. Just like Satellite Five. Just like every other nightmare.

* * *

Katherine Reese woke up in sweat and tears. That's what always happened after the nightmare. The dream was always the same. And Katherine hated it.

She walked out to the kitchen of her apartment and sat at the small table. Why did she still have feelings for Jack? She had Nick now. Her life was perfect. Yet, every night, she found herself dreaming of Jack and always crying when he died in the dream.

* * *

Katherine sat at a table outside her favorite café. She was sitting alone, waiting for Nick. They had a lunch date. She had been sitting for five minutes when her mobile rang. It was Nick. He was stuck at work and had to cancel. "That's alright," she said.

"I'm so sorry."

"I know. I'll call you later."

"Alright. Love you."

"You, too. Bye." She hung up and looked at the diamond ring on her left ring finger. Nick may be her fiancé, but she had only said 'I love you' to him once; the night he proposed.

Katherine put her mobile in her jeans pocket, looked up... and her eyes saw the one person she never thought she'd see again. In that split second, all thoughts of Nick went out of her mind.


	2. Lunch Date

Gwen had recommended this little café to him for lunch. He had wanted to come alone because it was the three month anniversary of Rose's death, and he missed her and The Doctor so much. So he had come alone, not expecting to find Katherine here.

Yet, there she was.

Jack Harkness looked at her for the first time in so long. He had dreamt of her every night one the station, so far away from her. When he came here, the dreams continued. Now, after so long, she was right in front of him, and it wasn't a dream. As they looked at each other, it seemed as if time had stopped.

He walked over to her table. Her eyes never left his, for fear that if she looked away, he would disappear. But he had no intention of leaving her again.

"Is it really you?" she asked. Tears began forming in her eyes.

"It's me. It's really me." He smiled at her. She jumped up and they hugged each other, never wanting to let go. "How?" she asked.

"I don't know."

"So we left you alone. I never knew. If I had..."

"It's alright. I'm here now. We together. That's all that matters." He kept smiling and she couldn't help but smile, too. "Now, shall we eat? I don't know about you, but I'm starving."

"Yeah, me too." They sat down across from one another. He picked up a menu and asked, "So how have you been?"

"Horrible. I can't stop dreaming about death. So much death." She didn't tell him whose death, though.

"Are you still in Jackie's apartment?"

"No, I moved out after Satellite Five. I'm living in the same building as my best friend Gwen now."

"Gwen who?"

"Gwen Cooper."

He looked up at her. "You're friends with Gwen Cooper?"

She looked puzzled. "Yeah."

"Gwen Cooper ex-Cardiff Policewoman Gwen?"

"Yes."

"Gwen Cooper, with boyfriend Rhys?"

"Yes."

"Gwen Cooper who joined special opps?"

"Yeah. How do you know her?"

"I work with her."

"No way."

"Yeah."

"Weird," she said as she chuckled.

"I'll have to tell her I ran into you."

"Wish I could see her reaction. I'll call her tonight or something."

At that moment the waiter came over to see what they wanted to drink. Jack got water, Katherine got a Coke. The waiter left, saying he would come back to take their lunch orders. "So, what's new with you Jack?" she asked him.

"Oh, not much. You know, other than being alive, here in this century, getting a job and having lunch with you, nothing much." They laughed. It felt good to laugh again. For both of them.

The waiter came back with their drinks. Jack ordered a turkey sandwich and Katherine got a ham and cheese one. As he left, Jack raised his glass. "To Rose."

"Cheers." They toasted Rose and kept talking. It was a wonderful lunch. They talked until two o'clock, when Jack's mobile went off. It was Gwen asking where he was.

"I'm having lunch with a friend. I think you know her. Katherine Reese?"

"How do you know Katherine?" Gwen asked him.

"Through her cousin, Rose."

Katherine made a motion, saying 'Give me the phone'. Jack passed it to her. "Gwen?" she said.

"Katherine, what's going on?" Gwen demanded.

"I'll tell you later. Come over for dinner tonight, I'll explain then."

"Deal. But you better tell me everything!"

"I will, don't worry." She passed he phone back. After a few more minutes, he hung up. "You have to go don't you?"

"Yeah. Wanna meet again tomorrow? Same time, same place?"

"I'll be here. See you then."

"Bye." He stood up and walked away, wishing he didn't have to. She watched him leave, sad, but feeling like the happiest person alive.

And then, the small voice she had been hearing for three months said, "He's nice. And handsome. Good pick." Katherine completely agreed.


	3. News and Lies

That night Katherine was in her apartment. At six-thirty, Gwen showed up at her door. "Hi, Kate. Alright, you have to tell me everything!" she said. They went to the couch and sat down.

"Well, I first met Jack at my cousin's twentieth birthday. We hit it off fast. Then we traveled together for a while. I stayed for two months, then left. I lost contact with him. Until now." She smiled. It was full of love. She still hadn't remembered Nick.

"Wait, you told me about him when you turned nineteen. Jack, my Jack, is...your Jack?!"

"Yeah."

"How- how much do you know about him?"

"A lot. But I can't tell ya."

She looked upset. "Why?" she whined like a child who was just told she couldn't have candy before dinner.

"I could screw up history. No one wants that, trust me."

"But I have to know." She was determined to get the truth.

"I'm sorry. Someday, I will, I promise. But not now."

"How could you screw up history though? And bug would it be?"

"Bad, and really big." She was dead serious, and Gwen could. What Gwen couldn't tell was that Katherine was one-hundred percent positive about this statement.

Gwen sighed. "Alright. Someday, I'll get the truth from you. Mark my words.

Katherine smiled. "Good luck with that."

That's when her phone rang. They both looked at it. "Who would be calling?" Gwen asked. Katherine shrugged and picked up. "Hello?"

"Hey baby." It was Nick.

Gwen saw a look of horror on Katherine's face. "Hold on," said Katherine into the phone. She put her hand over the mouth-piece. "It's Nick! I had forgotten about him!" she whispered.

"Oh God. Talk to him. Fast."

Katherine nodded and started talking into the phone again. "Sorry about that. What's up?"

"I was calling to apologize about lunch today. You want to try again tomorrow?" He sounded hopeful.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I can't. I'm meeting an old friend of mine. He's just come home and wanted to meet up with me tomorrow, so I suggested lunch. I'm sorry." She knew she was lying. But hopefully he didn't.

"Oh. That's alright." He was clearly disappointed. " What about dinner?"

"Dinner...sounds fine. Seven tomorrow. Bye."

"Bye. Love you." He hung up first, then her. She turned back to Gwen.

"I just completely lied to my fiancee."

"Well, what he doesn't know won't hurt him. Right?" Gwen said, with uncertainty showing in her voice.

"Gwen, if I go to lunch with a man I used to love," _And may still love,_ she thought. She continued talking. "Is that the same thing as cheating on Nick?"

"It depends on your feelings for Jack, honey."

* * *

Katherine did meet Jack for lunch the next day. She was so happy to see him again. But if Nick ever found out he would go insane. She needed to keep this secret, every part of her knew it. And the part of her that was newest, that little voice she heard every now and then, screamed with distrust toward Nick. And not just about keeping the secret.

**Sorry it's taken so long! Hope you enjoyed!**


	4. Transforming

In her dreams that night, Katherine saw Daleks surrounding her, yet not killing her. Not even pointing weapons at her. They just stared at her. She was confused. "What do you want?" she asked.

"Join us," they said in unison.

"What?"

"The trans-for-ma-tion has be-gun," the one directly in front of her said.

"You cannot stop it," said another behind her. She turned towards it quickly.

"Accept you destiny," said a third to her left. She faced it.

"Never. I can't accept it."

They all began chanting, "Accept it". Over and over. She began thinking they would kill her. She woke up screaming, covering her face. Her palms were facing out, her left hand in front of her right.

And out of her left hand - not in the dream but in the real world - shot a beam, exactly like the beam Daleks had. It hit a lamp on her dresser and the lamp exploded.

Katherine stared at the shards, then at her hand. It looked burned and severely injured, but right in front of her eyes, the wound disappeared and her hand looked normal again. What the hell had just happened?

"It's begun," said her voice. She was terrified of it all of a sudden.

_What has?_ she thought.

"Your transformation into my shell."

And she finally understood. The voice was a creature growing inside her. Whatever was inside the Dalek armor was in growing in her.

She was wide awake now. She sat in bed, thinking and staring at the spot where the lamp had been.

She couldn't tell anyone. Who would understand? Who would believe her? Everyone would think she had gone insane.

Well, not everyone. There was someone who could help.

Katherine picked up the phone next to the bed…then remembered she didn't know his number,

But she knew Gwen's.

It was around four in the morning. But she was desperate. He was the only one who could help.

After two rings, a groggy Gwen picked up. "Whayouwan?" she said.

"Gwen, I need Jack's number. It's really urgent."

"It's also four in the morning"

"Gwen, please."

"Alright." She gave Katherine the number and as soon as she said thanks, Gwen hung up and went to sleep again.

Katherine dialed the number and after one ring, Jack picked up, very chipper and awake. "Hello, Jack Harkness here."

"Jack, it's Katherine."

"How'd you get my number?" She heard the confusion in his voice.

"I woke up Gwen. Can you come over to my apartment right now? It's the same complex as Gwen's, but it's apartment 218, second floor. Please, I really need your help."

"Of course. I'll be right there. Are you ok?"

"No. Just hurry."

"Ok, I'm coming." He hung up at the same time as she did.

He was coming. Great. She sat on her bed, cradling her legs, staring at the wall.

About fifteen minutes after they had hung up, there was a knock on her door. Slowly, she stood and walked to her front door. Once she saw it was him, she opened it and let him in. As soon as she shut the door, he turned to her and said, "What's wrong? You look frightened and… Kate, what happened?" His voice had become very scared and worried.

She had begun to cry. She had held it in for a while and now it all came out. She said, "Oh god, I'm going to die."

Jack led her to the couch, sat her down right next to him and started stroking her shoulder, trying to comfort her. "What do you mean?"

She looked down at her lap as she explained everything that had happened since Rose's death, the voice, the Dalek on Satellite Five that was her, the dream she had, and the lamp being destroyed. Once she was finished, he lifted her chin up so she was looking at him, right into his eyes. He said three words. That's all, just three words. But they were the words she needed to hear more than anything.

"I love you."

She kept crying, finally realizing the truth; she was still in love with him and nothing or no one could change that.

"And I'll stop this change," he continued. "I'll help you fight it. We can do it, Katherine. I know we can."

"I shouldn't love you. But I do. I always have."

"What do you mean you shouldn't?"

"I'm engaged. It happened before I saw you again. But now that you're here, you're the only one I could ever love." She thought for a moment, then continued. "I'm going to break it off. I can't marry someone else."

"We can do this. And we'll be together forever. I promise."

She hugged him and felt him hug back. She knew everything would work out. It was then when she saw the clock. It was five-fifteen am. She was still in her pajamas. "Oh no. I have to get dressed. I have to be at work in a couple of hours."

"Go. I'll make breakfast." They broke apart. She went to her room, shut the door and smiled. He was right. They could fight it. And everything would be fine.

* * *

**At this moment I'd like to thank my beta Scout Girl for all her help!!!! Go check out her stories! Ok, review time!!**


	5. Breakfast

-1Nick Rowland had noticed a change in Katherine last time they had gone to dinner. Not the change he was expecting. This change was emotional, not physical. He was expecting her skin to be golden by now. It still wasn't.

What he noticed was her love for him slipping away. If she didn't love him, he wouldn't be able to complete his mission. If he failed, they would kill him.

How could he get her back?

He would have to think later. Right now, he was going to surprise her by taking her to breakfast.

* * *

Jack was making bacon, toast and eggs. Katherine walked into the kitchen, wearing dress pants and a white button-up top. She worked in an office building filing papers. "Smells great," she said.

"Thank you. Sit, it's almost done." She went and sat in the living room. He came out a minute later and handed her a full plate. "Now, where is your toilet, because-"

"Don't explain why! It's across from my room. Just go." She shooed him away, a disgusted look on her face.

He ran away. Katherine began eating when someone knocked on the door. Who could it be at this hour? She set her plate down and went to the door. She opened it, and there stood Nick. Oh crap, she thought. Not now. "What's up?" she asked trying to sound normal.

"I want to take you out to dinner before work."

"Oh, Nick. I just made breakfast. I'm sorry."

"That's alright. Could I join you?"

"I - only made enough for one. Maybe tomorrow. I'm really sorry. I have to go." She said this last sentence with urgency; she had just heard the toilet flush. Luckily, Nick didn't seem to notice.

"Oh, alright. Tomorrow then." He walked away. She shut the door and sighed.

Jack came out of the bathroom. "Who was there?"

She looked at him worried. "Nick, my fiancé."

"Uh-oh."

"Yeah, uh-oh. I haven't told him I'm breaking up with him."

"Better do that soon." She nodded. They walked back to the living room to eat. "Anyway, I can take you to work if you like," he said from the kitchen as he got his breakfast. He came out into the living room and sat in a chair, facing Katherine.

"Yeah, sure. Thanks." They sat, eating. At five-thirty, they were done. They cleaned up and headed to their jobs.

* * *

Once Jack got to his office, Gwen came up to him. "Did Katherine call you?"

"Yes." He was walking to his desk with Gwen following.

"What did she want?"

"She needs my help. That's all I'm saying for now. Alright?"

"Alright." She went back to her desk. Jack sat down and opened a new file on his computer. He titled it 'Katherine Reese- Human Dalek'. In it, he wrote everything she had told him last night, except the private stuff. He also added that she was engaged, soon to break it off. He would keep an eye on Nick though, just in case.


	6. Encounter at the Pier

**Ok, so I haven't updated in a long time. I finally have some time to myself, so here I am updating. Enjoy!

* * *

**

Katherine decided to have Nick over for dinner to try and make up for this morning… and to break off the engagement. It would hurt him, but he had to do this. She didn't love him anymore. Maybe she never really had loved him. She didn't know. All she knew was that she loved Jack.

It was a couple of hours before he was supposed to show up at her apartment. She had gone to her favorite spot in all Cardiff; the pier.

She loved just standing there, lost in thought. The sound of the water hitting the shore was the most relaxing sound to her. It was the one place she could feel safe, normal, like every other human on Earth.

"But you not like other humans," said her Dalek voice inside her.

"Shut up!" she exclaimed out loud. Only one person had heard her; Owen Harper.

"Who are you talking to?" he asked.

Katherine turned, startled. "Who are you? What do you want?"

He started to walk towards her, saying, "Because, normally people say that to me when I speak, when I'm not saying anything helpful, which is most of the time. But I didn't say anything yet."

"Answer me." She was leaning against the railing. He stopped about three feet away from her.

"My name's Owen Harper. I work with Jack. He sent me out to get you."

"How do I know you're telling the truth?"

"Jack said he'd call you. Didn't you get it?"

She kept staring at him as she took out her mobile. She looked at the screen and noticed there was a missed call. She listened to the message.

"Hey, Katherine. Listen, I'm sending one of my team to get you. His name is Owen Harper. He'll bring to the Hub. Trust him. He's going to be your new doctor. When you get here, you can meet everyone else. I'll see you soon. I love you."

She turned off voice mail and looked back at Owen. "Where are we going?"

He smiled at her. "It's called Torchwood. You'll love it."

* * *

Owen led Katherine to the waterfall. "You're kidding, right?"

"No. Come on, follow me." He went through a small door. She followed him into a cluttered room. There was a desk with a man standing behind it. He was tall, with dark short hair and blue eyes. He was quite pale as well. He was taller than Owen and he was wearing a suit. "Ianto Jones, this is Katherine Reese," Owen said.

"Pleasure, miss."

"Likewise. Is this it?"

"No. Follow me," Ianto said. He opened a door and they went down into the hub.

Katherine walked in, taking everything in. On one wall was the word TORCHWOOD, written in big, red capital letters . There were many desks, all of them strewn with papers.

Three heads had turned to see who had just come in. Katherine recognized two of them, Jack and Gwen. She didn't know who the third person was.

Jack smiled when he saw her. He walked over to her, saying, "Welcome to Torchwood. You know Gwen and you've met Ianto and Owen. This is Toshiko Sato." he pointed to the other woman. She was a small Japanese woman with a cute smile. "We're Torchwood. We investigate alien encounters, supernatural occurrences, and sometimes we're called to investigate murders. Come on, we'll go to my office." He walked into his personal office, with her right behind him. He closed the door when they were in.

"Are you in charge?" she asked, sitting down.

"Yep. I trust each of them with my life. I haven't told them about why you're here, but we'll have to soon. They can all help. Owen will be your doctor. Normal doctors will never believe this. Have you thought about the possibility of an alien being here to try and capture you?"

"Of course. It's always in the back of my mind."

"That's what the rest of us will be doing. Background checks on anyone you know personally. You never know what you'll find. I already had one done on Nick."

"What? You didn't find anything, did you?"

"His record is clean, but Tosh said it looked like there had been some tampering with. I don't want you to break up with him yet. We need to keep an eye on him."

"I've known him since grade school, though!"

"The tampering could be nothing. But it could also be that he had died and an alien took his form and made sure no one knew he was dead."

"I would've known if he died. He was one of my best friends."

"Not if it happened while you were with me and The Doctor."

She couldn't say anything. He had her there. "What if it is him? What do we do?"

"We'll deal with that when we know who it is. In the meantime, don't trust anyone."

"Except Torchwood, right?"

He smiled. "Except us."

* * *

Nick knew the dinner had been cancelled before she called him. He had the gift of foresight, like many of his people. It's what made him an excellent soldier. When the phone rang, he picked it up to hear her new excuse. "I'm really sick. Gwen's going to take care of me. I'm sorry."

"It's alright. You sure you don't want me to come help?"

"Yeah, stay home. I don't want you getting this."

"Fine. Call me when you're better." They both hung up.

What was happening? He couldn't lose her. Her transformation was growing perfectly. She had the weapon. The other talents of a Dalek would come in time. He could wait, but not much longer. He needed to have that meal with her. Then he could end the transformations once and for all.


	7. Tests and Transformations

**I'm finally updating!! Since it's summer I'll hopefully have a lot more time to update stuff! Ok, enjoy!**

Jack and Katherine walked back out to where the rest of the team was. "We've got a new job," Jack said to them. "Katherine will explain."

She looked at them, and her fear of speaking in front of people rose. She needed to calm down. She thought about the sunset, and how beautiful it was. She thought about the waves crashing onto the shoreline and how much that sound made her feel relaxed. It worked; she felt so much calmer. She began her tale. "You all know about monsters and evil creatures. Well, a while back, some of the worst ones came to earth. They're called Daleks and they want nothing more than to kill everything. They're the most horrible things you can think of, and they look like trash bins. One came to my room when I was a child and attempted to make me one of them. But they forgot the human factor. My mother ran into my room when she heard me screaming. The Dalek disappeared and the process ended. I thought it was all just a nightmare.

"A while ago, I began to notice something happening - strange feelings - inside me. And then when the army came a few months ago, they grew. My body is changing. I am becoming a Dalek."

Jack stepped in. "The metal is a protective case. It protects the creature inside."

Katherine nodded and spoke again. "My body is becoming the casing. The creature is already inside me, I can feel it. It speaks to me all the time. And I can feel my skin changing, becoming more and more like cold, lifeless metal. And I already have one of the Dalek's abilities, one of it's weapons. It kills instantly. I need you help. Please."

Jack stood up next to Katherine. "Owen, I need you to be her new doctor. She can't go to a normal one. Take x-rays and any other tests you need to take. The rest of us will monitor her apartment. She's given us permission to set up cameras to watch for aliens coming. Any alien would want a human Dalek as a weapon…or, if she didn't cooperate, they would want her dead. Neither of those are going to happen." The team nodded in understanding.

Owen said, "I'd like to run some tests now, if that's alright." Katherine nodded and went to follow Owen. Jack took her hand in his and squeezed it. She looked up at him and smiled, and the three of the disappeared into Owen's lab.

Gwen shook her head. "I hope she's alright. She's one of my best friends. And Jack's obviously really concerned. He's never been like that with any of us. There's something between them, something more than friendship. I hope she tells me about them, about how they became so close."

"You think she knew him before?" Tosh asked.

"I know she did. But she won't tell me anything else about him or them. All I know is that a while ago, they met, fell in love, then something happened and she didn't see him for months."

"Could they have broken up?" Ianto asked.

"No, I don't think so. If they had, they wouldn't be like this now, so in love. No, it was something else."

They all stared at the doorway a little longer before setting about their jobs.

Owen had left them alone after the tests so he could wait for the results and look them over. Jack and Katherine were sitting in two chairs next to each other, holding hands. She was scared about what he would find. They both remembered Satellite Five, when they had been sitting on a bench together, holding hands. She rested her head on his shoulder like she had back then. It seemed so long ago, and it technically hadn't even happened yet.

Katherine's free hand moved to her stomach. It was killing her suddenly. They were such sharp pains. She sat up and took in a quick breath as they hit.

Jack heard her and looked over at her. "What's wrong?"

"It hurts….help…"

"How? What can I do?"

She screamed in pain. Her eyes closed and her head bowed. All of a sudden, her screams stopped. Her head shot up and her eyes opened.

Except they weren't her eyes anymore.

Her eyes, normally a light sky blue color, were now a fluorescent blue. The same as a Dalek eye. She looked straight at him. Her hand pulled out of his. "_What do you want_?" she asked, her normal voice mixing with the tone and style of a Dalek's.

"What the hell?"

"_I am a Dalek. What do you want_?"

"A Dalek?"

"_I live in-side of this hu-man. What do you want_?"

"I'm just trying to help. She asked for it. She's scared."

She stood up and walked away from Jack. "_We do not need your help. We can survive without help_." She stopped, cocked her head, then looked him in the eye. "_She cares about you._"

"I know." He stood up and started to walk over to her. She turned her body so that they were completely facing each other. "I care about her too."

"_This is why you help her. Your feel-lings_."

"Yes."

"_I can feel them as well. She and I are one. I must speak with you_."

"About what?"

"_The trans-for-ma-tion. It will not com-plete_."

"What do you mean?"

"_It can-not com-plete. We would die_."

"How far will they go?"

"_I do not know. I only know that she will remain most-ly hu-man_."

"Mostly?"

"_Yes. I will be with her for-ever_."

"Why? Why can't you just leave her? We can take you out of her and give you something else to live in."

"_It is too late. Do that and we will die_."

She started to fall down. Her eyes closed as Jack ran over and caught her. He held her to him until her eyes opened again. They were sky blue. She inhaled sharply, as if waking up from a nightmare. She looked at him. "Jack. Oh my god." She started to cry.

He hugged her. "It's ok. I've got you."

She took a few deep breaths before moving to look at Jack. He never let go of her. "Thank you," she said.

He nodded. "You ok?"

"Yes. That was so…"

"It's ok. It's over." They continued holding each other, just looking into each other's eyes, until Owen came in, worried. They looked over at him.

"You'll want to see this." They went over to the light to show them the x-ray he was carrying. Jack and Katherine just stared at it, in a little bit of shock. "The creature has grown inside you. It's attached itself to all your vital organs. If we took it out of you, you would most likely die."

"That's what it told me," Jack said. "I didn't know if it could be trusted."

"I think it can," said Katherine. "I can feel it inside me. I feel what it feels."

"How can it feel, it's a Dalek."

"But it's different. Because it's been inside me, it's different than the other Daleks. It's not psychotic, and I think I allowed it to feel."

"So will it help us try to figure out who's hunting you?"

"Yes, I think it will."

"Great. Thanks, Owen."

"I'd like to schedule regular check ups for you, Katherine."

"Of course, whatever you say. Thank you so much, Owen." She shook his hand and, after scheduling her next appointment, she and Jack left.

* * *


	8. The Visions

-1A few days later, around noon, Katherine felt a burning pain growing in her stomach. It was a new ability developing. She could feel it inside her mind, numbers rushing through. She could decipher codes, break any password. The pain went away after a few minutes, and she looked at her right hand with Dalek eyes. She was in her Dalek form, and her right hand looked pitch black, while her left hand was silver and shiny. She tested her power, and loved it.

She went back into human form, and her hands and eyes went back to normal. She smiled and picked up the phone. She dialed Jack's number and he answered after two rings. "Hello?"

"Jack, you'll never guess what just happened."

"Katherine? Are you ok? What happened?"

"I'm fine. Can I come to Torchwood?"

"I guess so. Why, what is it?"

"I need to show you something."

"Ok. I'll send Ianto over to get you."

"I can walk over."

"Katherine, we don't know who the alien is. He could be waiting for you outside right no and you wouldn't know it until he caught you."

"Jack, I can handle myself. You don't have to send anyone over."

"Just as a precaution. Please humor me."

She grumbled. "Fine. Send someone over."

"Thank you-."

"I don't need it though."

"You are so stubborn."

"I am not!"

Jack chuckled. "Ok, then. You keep thinking that."

"Shut up. I'll see you soon."

"Ok. Bye."

"Bye." They both hung up, and she sat down to wait for Ianto.

After five minutes, there was a knock on the door. She jumped up, went to the door, sure it was Ianto, opened it, and saw Nick, just standing there smiling. "Hi, honey," he said.

She stood there for a moment, then said, "Hi. What are you doing here?"

"I came to take you to lunch. I tried to call earlier but your phone was busy."

"Oh, I'm sorry. I was talking to a friend, someone I haven't seen in a while. And I already ate. Wanna try again at dinner?"

"Sure. I'll pick you up tonight around seven."

"Sounds great. Bye."

"Bye." He walked away and heard her shut the door. He began the walk back to his apartment. He lived fifteen minutes away from her, and it was a nice walk, perfect for thinking. He put this to good use.

Her transformations were almost done. He used his foresight to watch her. She only had a few more abilities to gain before she would be complete, and he could take her. He used his foresight now to see what was ahead.

He saw further ahead than he planned. He saw her final transformation, which wasn't for weeks now. He saw her crying out in pain, then collapsing. The final transformation was too much for her body. It would kill her.

The vision disappeared, and Nick stood there in shock. He couldn't let that happen. He- They needed her, the ultimate weapon. He tried to find an alternate future.

There was only one. He was with her. He saved her from death by giving her the powder that his scientists had created. It would change her physiology, make sure her body could handle the final transformations. And it would finish the transformations at the same time. He was given it, but it was only to be used in emergencies. This counted as an emergency. He had to give it to her.

And he would.

Tonight.


	9. Dinner

**Ok, I know it's been way over a year since I updated. Everything in my life has been insane lately. Hopefully, I can get through a lot now.**

The next knock on her door was Ianto. "Ready, miss?" She nodded and followed him out to his car, locking the door behind her. It was a quick drive, and in a couple minutes they arrived at the tourist office. They went down to the main Hub, where everyone was waiting.

"So," Jack said, walking over and taking her hand. "What do you need to show us?"

She walked over to one of the computers, neither knowing or really caring who's it was.

Owen came over and started to protest, but Jack shut him up with a look.

She closed her eyes, and everyone saw her change. Her eyes became fluorescent blue. Her left hand turned silver. Her right hand, which was now black, touched his computer and within two minutes, she had logged in as Owen without ever touching the keyboard. She changed back into Katherine and smiled at everyone.

However, they were staring at the computer.

"Well?" she said

"You broke into my computer," Owen said.

Her smile widened. "Yeah. What do you think?"

Jack smiled and looked at her. "Impressive."

Everyone else smiled at her.

"I wish I could do that," Toshiko said, sounding slightly disappointed.

Katherine laughed, and then looked at a clock. It was two. She had to be home around five to get ready for her date. She looked at Jack and frowned. "Can I stay here for a little while? After a change, using the new ability a few times makes me feel a little dizzy."

"Of course. Do you want me to have Owen to look over you?"

"No, I just want to sit for a little while." She all but fell into Owen's chair. As she fell into the chair, Jack's hand gently touched her shoulder, trying to steady.

"You sure?"

She nodded and felt her eyes begin to close.

"If I fall asleep, wake me up before five. Okay?"

"Why?" Jack frowned

"Because I have to go home then and get ready to go out." She yawned

Jack's hand fell from her shoulder. "With Nick?"

"Yes," she muttered right before falling asleep.

* * *

Ianto was the one who woke her up at four thirty and drove her home. Jack had said goodbye to her with a sad look in his eyes, and she muttered her goodbye as she walked out, feeling guilty. She knew it hurt him that she was still with Nick, but it was partly his fault. He told her not to break up with him.

After Ianto dropped her off, she ran into the apartment and jumped in the shower. The shower only took about ten minutes, then she took another twenty to find something nice to wear and put it on. She chose her favorite brown dress that went down to her knees and flowed when she walked.

She had no idea what to do with her hair. She stared into the mirror for half an hour thinking. She finally chose to curl her hair, which took another half hour. It was now six-thirty, and she still had no make up on.

She applied light blue eye shadow, light blush, and shiny lip gloss. When she finished, she looked in the mirror. She thought the outfit looked good, but something was missing. She looked at her dresser, and found the perfect addition to her outfit. It was a silver locket her grandmother had given her. It had old pictures of her grandmother and grandfather. She had never met her grandfather; he had died in the war. Wearing the necklace made her feel close to him.

She looked at herself once again, and smiled. Now the outfit was perfect.

It was now ten of seven, and Katherine sat down to wait. A couple minutes later there was a knock on the door. It was Nick. He had driven over early. He always was punctual. He wore a blue shirt and khaki trousers. His jaw fell when he saw her.

"You look wonderful," he said.

She smiled and blushed a little.

"Thank you." She grabbed her coat and purse, and locked the door, not realizing her mobile was still in her living room. He took her hand and they walked to his car.

Once they reached the restaurant, he said, "I reserved a private room."

"Oh. Sounds nice."

He smiled, looking a little disappointed. "You don't want the private room?"

"What? Oh, no. It's fine. Sorry, I'm a little distracted tonight. Just, uh, thinking of my old friend who's back in town."

"Ah, yes. I understand."

The room was practically sound proof. She couldn't hear any noises coming from the actual restaurant. There was something dark and sinister about it. She shook her head, ignoring the fear growing inside her.

They looked at the menus for a few minutes before deciding on drinks. Nick ordered a pint, and Katherine just ordered a soda. The waiter left, and came back a few minutes later with their drinks. After a few sips, Katherine excused herself to go to restroom. Nick smiled at her as she stood and left. He watched her walk away for a moment, then his smile grew. This would be easier than he had imagined. He pulled a small vial out of his pocket, and looked around again. He opened the vial and poured its contents into Katherine's drink. He closed the empty vial and slipped it back into his pocket. A few seconds later, the door opened, and Katherine sat back down.

She looked at him, and something was different in his eyes. "Are you all right?" she asked him, looking puzzled.

"Fine." He picked up his glass. "Cheers."

She picked up her soda as well. "Cheers." She took a sip and put the glass back down. Her hand began shaking. Then it started burning in pain. The pain grew, spreading to her arm and shoulder and then her entire body. It felt like her organs were on fire. It continued to grow worse and worse. Her face contorted in pain.

She looked up at Nick. "What's happening to me?"

He just smiled cruelly.

_It is him!_ the Dalek screamed at her. _He is the one who wishes to use us. You must run!_

She sprang up, despite the pain, and ran out. She knew that only one place was safe. She had to run to Torchwood.


	10. Changing

The pain was too much, but Katherine couldn't give up. Nick was right behind her, and only Torchwood could save her. She was close to the Hub, running as fast as she could, but she knew Nick was closing in on her.

Fear and panic filled her mind. She had trusted him, maybe even loved him. Was any of it real? Or was it all part of a plan?

She looked at her arm. It was gold, and her hand was silver. The colors were fluctuating, changing from Dalek colors to her own skin tone. What had he done to her?

She saw the door leading to Torchwood's tourist office. She flung it open, ran inside, and locked the door. She tried to catch her breath when movement behind her made her jump. She turned, but it was only Ianto. He looked worriedly at her. "Are you alright, Katherine?"

"He's following me. Jack was right. He did something to me."

"Who? Jack?"

"No. Nick, my...it doesn't matter. Please, I need to see Jack." Her eyes closed as the pain grew and began to overwhelm her. "Oh God! Help me!" And then her world went black.

Ianto caught her as she fell. He checked her pulse. It was rapid, but still there. She had simply fainted. He locked the door, lifted Katherine into his arms, and ran to the lift. He set her in the lift, then called Jack on the com. "Jack, Katherine's in the lift. She's unconscious. Get Owen to check, something's happened. Her skin was changing."

"Where are you?"

"Waiting for the one chasing her. I don't know, she was out of breath and scared and not really making sense." By now, he had his gun drawn, pointed at the door, ready to take down whoever came through.

"I think I know who's chasing her. Be careful, Ianto. He may seem human, but I doubt he really is."

"Always careful, sir." He hit the earpiece, shutting it off. He heard something trying to open the door, and then the door broke open. A man walked through, but something was wrong. His left hand was a claw, large with four talons, and his smile was jagged. Ianto shot the creature five times in a row at point blank. The man fell backwards, and Ianto let out a sigh of relief. But it got up again, quickly. "You think that could stop me?" The claw came down on Ianto's head, and he fell to the floor.

* * *

"Always careful, sir." That was the last thing Jack heard before the lift opened. Jack ran to it, and lifted her into his arms. "Owen!" he shouted as he ran to the medical table. Jack set her down as the rest of the team came over. Owen was next to Jack in an instant, checking her pulse. "She's all right, just unconscious."

"But her skin…" It had stopped changing, and settled on the Dalek colors.

"I think it's just part of the transformation. Maybe."

"He's right," came a voice none of them had heard before. Tosh and Gwen drew their guns and turned toward the voice. It was a man, but he wasn't human. His left arm was a claw, and his face had become scaly. He reminded Jack of a giant crocodile. "So you're the ones ruining my plans."

"Not them. Just me." Jack came up the stairs, hands in his pockets. "You must be Nick."

"She's mine," he growled.

"I don't think so." He drew his gun as Nick lifted his claws, for now his other hand had changed.

"Put the wea-pons down," came another new voice. But this one had some familiarity to it. Jack turned, gun still pointed at Nick, and saw Katherine. But it wasn't really her, it was her Dalek alter-ego. "I have de-cid-ded. I will join you." She was looking at Nick, who was becoming more alien than human by the minute.

He smiled. "Wonderful."

"No," Jack said, fully turning toward her. "You can't."

"We must." She hugged him, and returned the gesture. "We will find you soon." She let go of him, and walked to Nick. "We are read-dy." He took her hand, and they disappeared.

"Owen, go check on Ianto. The rest of you, get ready. I don't think we've seen the last of them yet."


	11. Lovers

Nick and Katherine appeared in a small, dark room far above the earth. Katherine had chosen to give full control of her body to the Dalek for as long as it was needed, but Nick was unaware of this. "This is where you will be staying," Nick told her, dropping her hand. He was now completely covered in scales, with yellow eyes and large claws protruding where his fingernails should be.

"It does not mat-ter." She looked at him, and then suddenly struck him with her left hand. He fell to the ground, and she checked to make sure he was just knocked him out. Once she was sure of this, she hit the wall until she saw a hole big enough for her hand to fit in. She had to get out of this room, and to do that she had to unlock the door. All she needed was access to the mechanism and they would be free. Her right hand found it and her eyes closed so the Dalek could unlock the code. After a few moments, the code was broken and the door opened. Guards had already been posted outside, but they were no match for her. She travelled through the ship, exterminating all the aliens she found. They all had to be killed for her to escape. The last part of the ship she went to was the command center. It took seconds to exterminate all of them. Once they were all dead, she went to the main control board. She needed to connect to the communications control. It was time to bring Torchwood on board.

She put her right hand on the controls and closed her eyes, connecting to the ship. Numbers flashed through her mind. The Dalek understood them and quickly found the proper communications system. She connected to all frequencies and used Katherine's voice to speak. "Torchwood, are you there? Torchwood? Jack, can you hear me?"

"Katherine? That you?" Jack's voice echoed throughout the bridge.

She smiled in relief. "Yeah, it's me...and it. I'm on the ship. I've taken complete control. I can find a way to bring you on board as well, I think."

"Yeah, if you can do it. We'll see you soon."

She closed her eyes, closing communications and attempting to open transportation. It took a while, but she finally managed to bring the five members of Torchwood on board. The Dalek side of her went to rest, and Katherine was finally completely herself again. Jack ran to her side and took her hand. "Are you all right?" he whispered.

She nodded to him. "I'm fine. I need to rest, is all. But not yet." she said quietly. She turned to the rest of the team. "One of them is still alive. I'll show you the room, it's this way."

"Owen and Gwen come with us. Ianto and Tosh, stay here and work on figuring out these controls. We need to understand them. We'll find you when we're done."

Katherine led them to the room where she'd left Nick. He was just waking up as they found him. Jack, Gwen and Owen drew their guns on him. He tried to stand and fight them but he was still dazed. Gwen dropped her gun and managed to get his hands behind him so he couldn't threaten them. "Take him somewhere else for questioning, maybe to the bridge to help get control of the ship. As soon as we have control, take him to the hub." Owen and Gwen nodded and left with Nick flanked between them. Jack and Katherine were left alone. He turned to her. "You should get some rest."

"What about you?"

He smiled. "I'm staying here with you, obviously."

"But the team-"

"Can manage without me for a while. Go lay down somewhere. I'll be right here with you."

She didn't move, just stood there looking at him. "Thank you, Jack."

"For what?"

"For everything. For saving me. For coming back to me. Everything."

"Can I ask you a question?" She nodded. "Were you really in love with Nick? I mean, really?"

She broke eye contact with him. "I don't know. I knew I couldn't love him the same way I…but maybe some part of me did. But that was before you came back and before I learned the truth about him. About what he was. Now, I just want to forget him."

Her head fell and he saw she was crying. Jack lifted her chin, forcing her to look in his eyes. They leaned in and kissed each other beautifully and passionately. With every kiss, the passion grew and grew until they fell together onto the bed, wrapped in each other's arms.

* * *

Jack wasn't sure what time it was, but he knew a lot of time had passed. He and Katherine held each other, neither speaking, neither needing to. There was silence for a while, until they heard Gwen calling for Jack over his earpiece-which was lying in a pile along with his clothes. "Can you get that?" he asked Katherine, who was closest to the pile of clothes. She reached over, picked up the earpiece and handed it to him. "Yeah, Gwen. What is it?"

"I've been trying to call you for a while now. Tosh figured out the computer system. Owen, Ianto and I are going back to the hub now with the alien. Tosh and Ianto are going to work on a way to control the ship from the hub, connecting the computers. I really didn't understand most of what they said, but I got that much. What about you and Katherine?"

He covered the earpiece and look at Katherine. "You ready to go back?" he asked her.

"I'd like to put on clothes first," she whispered, smiling.

"Well, if you must," he said in a flirty tone that made her laugh a little. He removed his hand from the earpiece. "We'll be there in about five minutes. You go on ahead."

"Right. We'll see you back at the hub." He took out the earpiece and smiled. "Time to go."

They stood, dressed, and returned to the bridge quickly, where Tosh was waiting. "Where have you two been?"

"Just been exploring the ship, looking at the wonderful alien technology. Always puts a smile on my face. I hear you got the controls working," Jack said.

"Just working out a way to control it from the hub. Are you ready to go back? I can send you now."

"Yeah, we're ready." He took Katherine's hand as Tosh hit some buttons and suddenly they were in the hub. They saw Ianto working with Tosh at the computers, and Gwen and Owen coming up the stairs looking defeated. "He's not talking. I don't know what else we can do," Gwen said. She pulled up a video of Nick in one of their cells. He was just sitting, not looking out the glass door, not speaking, just looking dejected. Suddenly, his head came up, and a smile broke across his face.

"Let me talk to him," Katherine said. "Alone."

"I don't think that's the best plan, Katherine…" Jack said.

"If it gets out, I'll kill it, I know I can." She couldn't think of it as Nick anymore…she didn't want to. "Please, Jack. Let me try."

He stared at her, but she didn't waiver. He sighed, knowing he was beaten. "Fine. We'll monitor you from here and if anything goes wrong I'm coming down for you."

"We have a deal." She smiled at him and walked down to the holding cells to speak with her ex-fiancé.


	12. Aliens

He listened as she came into the chamber to talk to him. He stood and turned to look through the glass door as she approached. "You killed all of them, didn't you?" She didn't say anything, just stared at him, and he met her gaze. "What, don't I get a 'hello, darling' or a smile at least?"

"What's your real name?"

"Clar-wey. But you can still call me Nick."

"Your people are dead. At least the ones on the ship are. And don't even think of trying to escape because I'll make sure you meet the same fate as them on the ship."

"Well, thanks for that warning. Anything else you want to say?"

"No. It's your turn now. Tell me everything."

"Well, where to begin. My people live a galaxy 20,000 light years away and without me you can't fly that ship, especially since you killed the entire crew. Oh, and another ship is coming. This time if it doesn't get you, it will destroy this planet. They have the power and the weapons to destroy the pathetic rock."

"How did it find us?"

"This plan has taken months to put into place. We had a deadline, and if we didn't make it another ship would be sent to ensure success. They should be here soon." His smile grew as she turned and walked out of the corridor. Once she was out of his view, she broke into a run for the hub. Tosh had returned, and Jack hadn't moved from the screen monitoring her, except to turn to her when she ran through the door. "You heard him?"

"Every word. Think he's telling the truth?"

"Best be sure. Tosh, can you detect ships in the sky?"

"Yes, easily. It might take a while to find it among the other ships, but I can do a scan for the same technology as the ship we have in our possession."

"Keep checking, another might be in our solar system any minute. Also, how much control do you have over the ship now?"

"I can control just about everything from here."

"Good. Let me know if and when you detect another ship." She turned back to Jack. "I've got a plan."

"Care to share with the rest of us?"

"That depends. Can he hear us?"

"No, it's a one-way system. We can hear him but he won't hear us."

"If that ship comes near us, we destroy our ship somehow and take out the other ship in the blast. That should stop them, and they shouldn't come back to Earth again. I hope."

"It's coming," Tosh called.

"Fly our ship out to meet them then destroy it. Fast!" Katherine ordered her.

"Doing it now. Don't worry, I heard the plan." Tosh was typing commands into her computer faster than Katherine had ever seen anyone type. "Flying it out to meet the other ship. Engine core temperature is rising. Only a few more degrees until the fuel starts to boil. It'll explode as soon as the other ship is in range…now." They waited for a moment, no one speaking. "Both ships are gone, destroyed in the explosion. We're safe," Tosh confirmed.

Katherine sighed with relief, and felt Jack's arms wrap around her. "You're safe," he whispered in her ear.

"Yeah. For now. I wanna go home, Jack. I just want to go home."

"I'll take you."

She turned to face him, smiling. "Yeah, I'd like that." She hugged him, fitting into his body perfectly. She felt safe there, like nothing in the universe could hurt her. Like nothing would dare try. They parted, and he took her hand. They walked to the cog-wheel without a word until he paused and turned back to the team for a moment. "Gwen, you're in charge." He smiled at the team for a moment before leaving with Katherine.

"He won't be back for a while," Gwen said, smiling. She and Tosh exchanged a glance, then went back to work.


	13. New Job

It was just past five in the morning when she finally got home. She walked through the front door, saying, "Oh, this feels good." She fell onto her couch, sighing, and closed her eyes.

She heard Jack chuckle from the doorway and opened her eyes. "What?" she asked, smiling at him.

"I'm just glad you're safe." He walked in, closing the door behind him. He went over to her, sitting beside her, and he wrapped his arm around her, letting her lean into him.

"Thank you for helping me. And thank your team for me."

"I will. And remember, if you ever need help, call us."

She nodded, then her smile faded. "Jack, we need to talk." She sat up and faced him. "What happened between us on the ship was…incredible."

He smiled. "Yeah, that's a good way to describe it."

She sighed, knowing what she said next was important. "Jack, I want us to stay together."

"So do I. You need to know, though, I'm planning on going away for a while. Don't know when, don't know how long."

"Why? Where are you going?"

"I can't die, Katherine. I don't know why or how it happened. I'm trying to find The Doctor, see if he can answer my questions, maybe even fix it. When I find him, I'll probably be gone for a while."

"You can't die? Should've known, what with you being here. I understand, though, why you have to go. Does the team know?"

"No, and don't tell them. Look, I don't know when he'll be back or how long I'll be gone. But until then I will do my best to stay here with you. You never know what the rift will bring."

She smiled. "But for now, we'll stay together. Right?"

He returned her smile. "Right." He kissed her, and she felt their passion return. They fell into each other, and forgot about everything else, as the memory of what happened on the ship became a reality once more.

* * *

Katherine was woken at noon to the smell of food cooking. She got out of bed, put on a robe, and walked out to the kitchen. Jack was standing at the stove, fully dressed, making eggs and bacon again. "Is that all you can cook?" she asked, teasing him.

"No. I make a delicious roast beef."

She giggled a little. "Sounds great, I'll have to try it sometime."

"I called your boss, told her you wouldn't be in today. Said you weren't feeling great, had been sick during the night. She understands, said to take as long as you need, and just let her know when you'll be back."

"Thanks for that." He made up a plate for her, then one for him. They went out to the table to eat. "You know, I could get used to this." They smiled at each other and ate their breakfast in peace.

* * *

The next week, Katherine was once again home from work. This time, she really did get sick in the night. She had spent the morning in bed, and when she felt up to it, moved to the living room couch. She was currently sitting watching the television when her phone rang. She reached over and picked it up. "Hello?"

"Ms. Katherine Reese?" It was a man's voice that she didn't recognize.

"Yes. Who is this?"

"My name is Eric Whemer. I work in Mr. Harold Saxon's government office."

"Look, I already know who I'm voting for."

"This call is not meant to sway your vote. I'm calling to offer you a job."

She sat up. "A job?"

"Yes. Mr. Saxon wants you to come work on his campaign with us."

"Why me?"

"Mr. Saxon has been looking for the most efficient people in business and corporations, and he has been impressed by your work. He looked over your resume and spoken with your current employer, who has agreed to let you go when you are ready. Mister Saxon believes it's time for a promotion of sorts. Will you accept his offer?"

"If everything has been sorted out already, then yes, I would love to. Thank you so much."

"Thank you, Ms. Reese. We'll be in touch." He hung up, and she did the same. She felt a rush of joy, then felt it stop as she realized this might mean having to move back to London, away from Jack. She picked up the phone and dialed Torchwood, needing to talk to Jack.

But it was Ianto who answered. "Hello?"

"Ianto, it's Katherine. Is Jack there?"

"Actually, he's gone missing. Tosh too. We're trying to find them now."

"Do you need any help?"

"No, I think we've got it under control. But if we need you, I'll call. Should I take a message?"

"No, just have him call me when he can. Good luck."

"Thanks." They both hung up. Where had he gone? If he had gone with The Doctor he wouldn't have brought Toshiko. She didn't know what she could do to help.

When she was feeling better, she went and started packing. She was going to move to London and take this new job.

* * *

Katherine enjoyed working in the campaign office. She had met a lot of good people who were becoming her friends, especially Letisha Jones. Even Mr. Saxon and his wife were kind to her. On the day of the election, he pulled her aside and said, "Ms. Reese, your work here has been exceptional. Should I win today, I would like you to stay on as one of my personal assistants."

She was shocked. Of all the people working for him, he chose her. "Thank you, sir. I would be honored."

"Excellent. Oh, and don't forget, keep this all hush-hush, you know."

"Yes, sir." He smiled, winked, and walked away. She went back to work smiling.

She hadn't heard from Jack yet. Maybe he was still stuck. She couldn't think on that too much though. This job kept her busy and if he won she'd be even busier. She needed him to call though; they hadn't spoken since the last time he had made her breakfast.

The announcement came late in the night. Harold Saxon had won, and was the new Prime Minister. And that's when everything in her life changed again.

**Ok, so that's the end of this one. Hopefully soon we'll have the third and final story in the trilogy.**


End file.
